Functions and design of the Lada Kalina electronic control unit

A modern car is a high-tech device. Just look under the hood and under the panel: sensors, wires, control units and other electronics are installed everywhere. The more expensive and presentable the car, the more it is stuffed with all kinds of equipment. As a rule, the more electronics there are, the more problems there are with this.

In any car, and the Lada Kalina is no exception, the electronics are controlled by a small box - an electronic control unit, or simply an ECU.

Location

The ECU on the Lada Kalina is located under the center console of the car. You can see it by removing the side cover of the front passenger's footwell air duct. The block is attached to a bolted connection and securely fixed in its place. The connectors of the unit are also tightly inserted into their place and secured with a special lock, which prevents the connector from spontaneously disconnecting from the ECU.

It is quite difficult to call this location of the engine control unit successful, since it is located exactly under the heater radiator and if there are leaks in the heater radiator, the coolant gets directly onto the engine block, which causes irreversible consequences and, of course, a breakdown or short circuit.

In some cases, there is a coolant leak at the ECU, it can be repaired, but most often it is necessary to replace the unit.

timing belt

A terrible problem that occurs with viburnum is a broken timing belt. It is impossible not to notice this problem. It doesn’t happen that you start the car in the morning and the belt is broken.

No, the belt breaks while moving and nothing good can happen here. The valves meet the pistons and bend them, and the entire piston can often break apart, which can lead to expensive repairs.

These are all 16 valve engines; eight valve engines do not have such consequences, because the pistons have recesses for the valves, and it is these recesses that help avoid collisions between the valves and the pistons.

No one is safe from a belt rupture, just check it more often, then you can notice the threat of a rupture and replace the belt that threatens to break in time. There is also an option to install pistons with grooves in a 16-valve engine, this will also help avoid serious consequences if the belt breaks.

Another problem - the pulley turned. Occasionally it happens that it turns over two or three teeth, because of this the sensor shows the wrong phase and the engine does not start. You need to remove the belt and check whether the mark on the pulley and the rear cover of the timing belt matches.

If not, then you need to turn the pulley (in rotation) until the marks match. The work is troublesome, you need to disassemble a lot of things to get where you need to, you also need to keep track of the marks on the camshaft and crankshaft, in general there is a lot of fuss.

What kind of ECUs are there on Kalina?

Below is a table with engine controllers that were installed on the Lada Kalina.

Why doesn't the ECU work?

Quite often problems occur that the engine control unit stops working; to find out the reason for the failure of the ECU, you need to inspect it:

1. Check to see if the connector has come loose from the unit; this happens quite often after installing a radio, or replacing a heater radiator, etc.
2. Check for ground on the block. Sometimes it happens that after some work, a person forgets to fasten the mass necessary for the operation of the unit.
3. Check for signs of coolant leakage on the engine block.

If such problems are not found, it is necessary to dismantle the engine block and troubleshoot, repair or replace it.

How to install used brains. Immobilizer.

I will describe how I encountered a problem when installing a used unit. After discovering another completely flooded and well-burnt patient, it was decided to find a unit that was already on the car, since the owner couldn’t afford to buy a new one. By luck, the ad contained an ECU from a wrecked car at a ridiculous price, only 1000 rubles. It seemed that everything was simple: I took it off, put it on another car and drove off happy. But it was not there. After installing a used unit, the engine does not start, even the starter does not turn. At the same time, the car icon with a key flashes on the panel. After 5 minutes of thought, it became clear that the old immobilizer did not recognize the new brains.

How does the standard anti-theft system (immobilizer) work?

It turns out that the standard anti-theft system is designed in such a way that it forms a Keys-Immobilizer-ECU system. When replacing at least one of these elements, the engine is immediately prohibited from starting. In the ECU, information about this system is stored in EEPROM memory. Therefore, to install a used unit, you must either clear this memory and retrain the immobilizer again, or read the data from the old unit and transfer it to the one being installed. We chose the second option and for 1000 rubles an experienced technician completed this procedure (flashing) in 20 minutes. In stores, the units come with a blank EEPROM. Therefore, there is no need to reflash them after purchase.

I hope I clearly explained how to install a used engine control unit. There is a lot of information on the Internet about how to retrain an immobilizer, but if someone doesn’t find it, you can open a topic on the forum and I’ll write there. There is only one point left - how to prevent Kalina’s brain from flooding. I will talk about this in my new article. If something remains unclear, you can always ask in the comments, I’m looking forward to them!

Replacing the ECU

Replacing the engine controller on Kalina is quite simple according to the instructions presented below.

• Remove the negative terminal from the battery;
• Unscrew the cover of the side air duct of the front passenger's feet;
• Disconnect the connectors from the controller;
• Unscrew the screw securing the ECU on the left;
• We take out the controller by pulling it towards ourselves, as if on a sled;
• Unscrew the controller from the pad;
• Installation is carried out in the reverse order;

Source

Poor quality fuel

Spark plugs can also flood due to bad gasoline.
This is another reason why the engine does not start. Very often, condensation forms in winter and clogs the coarse filter. To avoid this, periodically add pure alcohol to the tank in winter. It smokes, sneezes, smokes like a snake Gorynych, this often happens in our time, but, as a rule, people have some remnants of conscience and they try not to reduce gasoline to a non-flammable state.

The car can even run on this kind of gasoline, the only problem is that it is absolutely not useful for the engine. To avoid this, refuel at large chain gas stations.

They, as a rule, monitor their reputation and do not allow this to happen, but if it turns out that you have filled in burnt gasoline, and even so much that the car does not want to start, you can drain the gasoline and fill in another, road gas, or if there is not much left , you can fill in more good 95 gasoline and its mixture with palenka will be more or less normal.

Of course, there are severe cases when filters and injectors become clogged and they have to be washed out for a long time and tediously (or whatever is easier to change), but this happens mainly when buying gasoline from some garage “oil workers”.

It’s quite easy to protect yourself from them - just refuel at trusted places and under no circumstances buy gasoline from any garage gas dealers. In principle, they are not such a common occurrence now, but they still occur, and people buy gasoline from them because it is cheaper, but it is better not to do this, the stingy pays twice - an immutable truth.

And if you really had to buy such a piece of water, at least filter it, there is no need to clog the filter with nozzles.

Where is the controller on Kalina

Currently, in cars of the Granta, Kalina-2, Priora families, control units of the ME17.9.7 BOSCH and M74 brands are used.

In 100% of cases, Prioras have a BOSCH controller programmed to control the dashboard via the CAN bus. The M74, which is now installed in Grant cars (version 11186-1411020-12), has the same property.

Speaking of the configuration with the 21127 engine, behind the glove compartment of the Kalina-2 you can find a control unit called “M74”. It should be noted that the ME17.9.7 and M74 blocks are built on different hardware platforms. In this connection, the software in them is different and incompatible, although it performs the same functions. Simply replacing the controller by installing a BOSCH unit instead of M74 (M74CAN) will not work. Improvement will be required not only at the “software” level.

Itelm also has new developments of its own. For example, the M75 block, which was first released in 2012. Using the ME17.9 block, the Priora 21126 engine complies with the Euro-4 standard. It is assumed that after installing another ECU, the engine can go into the Euro-5 category. For these purposes, the M75 was developed. Moreover, this device is completely interchangeable with BOSCH ME17.9.7.

The history of ECU units produced by NPP Itelma goes back more than 14 years. The first options were intended for engines that meet Euro-2 standards, and any controller produced today controls a motor that meets the requirements of Euro-4 and higher.

Welcome! Controller - popularly it is simply called the brain, but scientifically it is briefly called the ECU, that is, the Electronic Engine Control Unit, it performs all electronic functions in the car, starting from instrument readings (Thanks to it, you understand how many revolutions it gives to the engine at one time or another, and you also understand the speed, it is only with the help of it that it is recognized, but also the sensor itself, which transmits this information to the controller) and ending with the very operation of the engine, and therefore if it fails, then all the instruments first of all stop giving readings to you and the car also won’t start, but by changing it to a new one, the car will come back to life again and will drive as if nothing had happened, but it’s best to change it to exactly the same one as it was before, it’s just that all the controllers are configured for certain sensors and for certain engines, but still, if you want, you can install a different model, but you need to make sure that the connector for the wire block in it is exactly the same as on the old one and it is desirable that it has the same dimensions, in addition, you will either have to calibrate it online, or upload a ready-made program (at your discretion and according to your financial capabilities), people also call calibration firmware so that you immediately understand what we are talking about.

Note! To carry out the work of replacing the controller on a car, you will need to stock up on: Screwdrivers, or to be more precise, you will need a Phillips screwdriver with which you will need to unscrew the screw securing the right facing, as well as a wrench you will need with which you can remove the minus terminal from the battery!

Summary:

Where is the controller (ECU) located? On all cars it is installed differently and even on Kalina cars, depending on the year of manufacture, it can be in different places, for example on Kalina 2 (We are not considering those in this article) it is located under the carpet and, unlike the first Kalina, completely in another place, on the first Kalinas, unfortunately, the controller is so poorly located that when the stove faucet fails (When it starts to leak), it begins to flood, in connection with this, all its electronics quickly perish and therefore, in a very short time, the controller becomes unusable and must be replaced, for clarity, where it is located on the first Kalinas, you can see in the photo below, the arrow indicates the right facing of the floor tunnel and if you remove it, you will see the controller before your eyes.

Note! Let us give you some advice: when buying your first Kalina, we recommend that the first thing you do is take care of the controller, namely, move it from one place to another, otherwise if the stove faucet starts to flood it, then you will have to look for money somewhere for a new one, and a new controller costs a lot money and therefore you need to take care of the one you have so that you don’t have to replace it with a new one (In this article we will also touch on the topic of transferring this part, so read everything carefully)!

When do you need to change the controller (ECU)? In fact, it’s not so easy to come across a broken controller, because they actually live almost their entire life while the car itself is driving, but it can still either burn out or, due to an unfortunate location, be completely filled with water, coolant, etc. ., maybe, like with the first Kalinas, this happens (on them the controller is located very poorly from the factory), the symptoms of its failure are the loss of communication with the ECU (That is, you connect to it and the computer simply does not see it), as well as incorrect operation of the engine, incorrect operation includes engine tripping, misfires in the ignition system, incorrect operation of fuel injectors (They can either pour and fill the engine in connection with this, or they simply turn off and will not work) and the car may not start, but after these symptoms appear on the ECU, you should think about it last, especially if you have moved it to a place where there is no moisture, just as we have already said, these control units are eternal and almost never fail.

Note! The best way to understand whether the control unit is working or has failed is to install exactly the same unit from a known-good car; unfortunately, it is very difficult to determine its condition simply by looking at it; in addition, the unit can even communicate and show that it is in the car does not have any errors, although it will not start the car itself, or it will, but the car will not work correctly and will not develop its full potential and power!

Diagnostics using equipment

Error number “4” that appears during self-diagnosis of Lada Kalina

If you check your car for errors using special equipment, then, as stated above, the combinations will be four-digit, and the code will be preceded by a letter.

First, let's look at what the letters and numbers mean.

• B - indicates a malfunction of the body, that is, we are talking about airbags, central locking, electric windows. Of course, this is true for Lada Kalina cars equipped with these devices;
• C - means an error in the operation of the chassis;
• P - indicates a malfunction in the functioning of the engine or automatic transmission.

What does the second number mean:

• 0 – common code for OBD-II;
• 1 – number of the car manufacturer;
• 2 – number of the car manufacturer;
• 3 – reserve code.

The third symbol directly indicates the type of malfunction:

• 1 – malfunction of the fuel system or air supply;
• 2 – malfunctions in the fuel system or air supply are also reported;
• 3 – malfunctions in the ignition system were detected;
• 4 – auxiliary control;
• 5 – malfunctions in idle speed;
• 6 – malfunction of the ECU or its circuit;
• 7 and 8 – errors in the operation of the transmission system.

Check Engine Light - starts flashing on the dashboard when any problems occur

How to clear/reset the Check Engine error on Lada Kalina cars - this question often worries owners of VAZ cars. The fact is that most Lada owners have encountered such a problem when, for no apparent reason, the “chek” error lights up.

New Lada: Kalina drives jerkily, jerks when moving slowly (solved) - 2 answers

Here many people immediately panic. Don't worry, there's nothing wrong with it. Firstly, this error appears when any sensor fails.

Secondly, this error appears when the wrong mixture enters the combustion chamber. This can happen in two cases: some sensor is not working correctly, or low-quality gasoline. Try using higher quality fuel the next time you fill up.

How to replace and transfer the controller (ECU) to a VAZ 1117-VAZ 1119?

Note! When the ECU is removed, inspect it; there should be no cracks; if necessary, disassemble it by removing the cover from it (there you will need to unscrew the side screws) and when the cover is removed and the board itself is in front of your eyes, then the first thing inspect it and there should be no moisture on it and it should be in normal condition and there shouldn’t be anything torn from it either!

Removal: 1) First, turn off the power to the entire on-board network, otherwise if water gets on the controller or on the wire block when you disconnect it, it will immediately disable it, or the wires will burn out, but even without water the wires can close , so still protect yourself by removing the minus terminal from the battery for this (For how to do this, read “in this article” in paragraph 1), then from the side of the passenger seat, or to be more precise, in the place where passengers put their feet climb up and there will be a side lining of the floor tunnel on the side, it is fastened with one screw, you unscrew it and then remove the lining as shown in the small photo in the example of the left lining.

2) As soon as the right facing is removed, look for the control unit at the very bottom, it is attached with one screw to the heater body (This screw is indicated by an arrow in photo 1), you unscrew this screw and then remove the controller along the guides when it is removed , disconnect the block of wires from it, to do this, pull out the lock that secures the block to the control unit (see photo 2) and after that the block can be disconnected from the controller and thus you will have it completely removed.

Installation: The new controller is installed in the reverse order of removal, but there are some nuances during installation, firstly, the immobilizer (This only applies to the new control unit, so if you don’t change it, you don’t need to do anything) unless you have it disabled you will have to retrain (For information on how to do this, read the article: “Training the immobilizer on a VAZ”), and secondly, if you are going to install the controller in the same place (Which we do not advise you to do), then make sure that the controller brackets fit in ( The brackets are indicated by red arrows; in the photo, by the way, the heater has been removed from the car for clarity) exactly into the guides of the heater housing.

Additional video: Be sure to check out the video below, it tells you why you need to move the control unit from its regular place, and also shows where it can be secured and how all this is done.

Greetings, dear friends and readers of our site. In today’s article I would like to talk to you about the ECU controllers for Lada Kalina 1 and 2. Well, if you look into the very structure of this post, we will talk about where the ECU controller is located, how to dismantle it yourself, and of course interchangeability controllers.

Let's sum it up

If symptoms appear, the owner of LADA Kalina should contact service as soon as possible, because the cost of repairs can be significantly reduced. It is advisable to independently carry out the procedures we have indicated if the owner of LADA Kalina has a sufficient level of experience in dealing with automotive electronic devices. To do this, at a minimum, you need to know where the ECU is located, as well as how to remove the ECU. However, a 100% positive outcome of the event should not be expected. In case of failure, we recommend contacting the service specialists.

Where is the ECU controller located on the Lada Kalina

So, the Kalina engine control unit is located at the very bottom of the console, between the floor and the heating radiator. It is accessible from the passenger's feet.

To do this, you need to remove the plastic cover, which is attached with one screw. We unscrew it and move the lining forward along the direction of the car, after which it should completely disengage. We remove the cover to the side. Below it we see the following picture.

Location of the ECU controller on Lada Kalina

Ignition coils

If everything possible has been checked, but the car won’t start, and you don’t want to take it to the service station until you’ve tried everything that you can try to fix it yourself, check the ignition module (coil).

First, let's check the wiring. We disconnect the block of wires from the coil, connect the middle wire to the plus of the multimeter (in voltmeter mode), and connect the minus of the multimeter to ground.

If, when you turn on the ignition, a voltage approximately equal to the battery voltage appears, then everything is in order with the power supply; we check the control circuits.

To do this, connect a multimeter to the middle and one of the outer wires of the harness and turn the crankshaft with the starter - a voltage of a couple of volts should appear, similarly with the other outer wire. If the wiring is normal, check the coil.

Customized ignition coils

We switch the multimeter to ohmmeter mode, connect the tester to the middle and one of the outer terminals of the coil, if the circuit shows infinity, then that’s it - an open circuit. Same with the other extreme conclusion.

If everything is in order, we continue. We check the secondary winding - to do this, the coil must be removed from the engine and turned over. We connect the tester to the paired coil connectors - cylinders 1-4 or 2-3.

If it shows something other than infinity (should be something around 4 kOhm) then everything is fine, there is no break. Same thing with the other couple.

Why the ECU on the Lada Kalina does not work - the main reasons

One of the most common problems that Lada Kalina owners encounter is ECU failure. Let's look at the main reasons for controller failure:

• Failure due to a short circuit in the on-board network. Here, you can get by with little effort and solder the main resistors, or it will lead to complete combustion of the element.
• If liquid gets on the unit panel, which will lead to complete failure. Usually the ECU is filled with antifreeze.
• Illegal actions of third parties that will lead to ECU failure.
• Other reasons not previously stated.

All these reasons will serve as a reason for diagnosing and dismantling the car control unit.

Dismantling and disassembling the electric amplifier

Before removing the amplifier, you need to remove all the steering column switches. Remove the steering rack cover and dismantle the devices, remembering to disconnect the connectors from the power supply.

How to remove the EUR with your own hands:

1. After removing the switches, you will need to dismantle the lower cross member of the dashboard. To do this, you need to press the fasteners that secure the connector with wires, and then disconnect the wiring from the control module. Once these steps are completed, you can disconnect the connector from the switches.
2. The system bracket is secured with nuts; you will need to unscrew them with a wrench.
3. After this, the steering rack will need to be carefully lowered down. To do this, you will need to find the bolt that secures the driveshaft to the booster shaft. This bolt must be unscrewed, but when unscrewing, you will need to fix the nut, this will prevent it from turning. When the bolt is removed, the fastening will need to be loosened, after which the intermediate shaft will be carefully removed. At this stage, we recommend marking the position of the shaft and gears; you can use a marker for this. This step is very important because doing it will prevent possible installation problems in the future. If the marks on the shafts do not match, this may cause problems with the amplifier. When dismantling, be careful not to damage the wiring, as this will also lead to the inoperability of the ESD.
4. When the unit is dismantled, it will need to be disassembled and the failed elements replaced. Further editing is done in reverse order (the author of the video is Murzik Bely).

How to remove the ECU on a Lada Kalina - step-by-step instructions

In order to remove the ECU unit on a Lada Kalina, you must perform the following procedure:

1. First you need to unscrew 2 screws, the location of the first is shown by the arrow. The second is at the same level on the engine side. Before doing this, you must remember to remove the terminal from the battery. After unscrewing the screws, do you need to pull the block towards the passenger door? and he must leave from there along the guides. Sometimes it happens that the wires rest against the carpet. Then they need to be corrected.

2. In order to remove the connector and disconnect the unit from the wires, you first need to: pull the connector lock to the side. The latch is a bracket. I think you can easily find it on the connector.

Candles

If the electronics are fine, there are still a lot of options why the engine won’t start. A common reason is that the candles are simply flooded.

Most often, candles are flooded in winter . Compression in the cold does not correspond to the parameters, so the engine does not start immediately. Often the spark plugs flood due to a weak battery that does not produce a normal spark, the wiring or the spark plugs themselves.

The easiest way to dry the spark plugs is to simply press the gas all the way to the floor and turn the engine with the starter for a few seconds (10-15). If there is nothing serious, then, as a rule, it will start (it rarely helps in winter), but if not, you will have to dry the spark plugs.

To do this, they need to be pulled out, cleaned of carbon deposits, for example with a toothbrush, the main thing is that the gap remains the same ( 0.8-1mm ), and then dried. You can use a hair dryer or even an oven if you are in a hurry.

Prudent drivers keep a spare set of spark plugs in the car for such cases. In order not to have to go to work in a minibus in the morning and not bother with drying, you can simply screw in spare candles, and in the evening, after work, calmly dry the main ones.

To reduce the risk that the spark plugs will be flooded, you need to constantly monitor the battery so that it is always charged and every two to three days, while driving, load the engine for 10 seconds to 4500-5000 rpm so that it cleans itself of carbon deposits and all sorts of deposits in the chamber.

The ECU on Kalina is filled with antifreeze - what to do?

After the block filled with antifreeze has been removed, its initial inspection should be carried out. For these purposes, it is necessary to remove 4 screws using a star screwdriver. Then you should slowly remove the control board for a visual inspection. The most common failure is the burnout of the ignition coil output switch. In this case, repair will not help.

As a result of such a malfunction, the Lada Kalina starts working on only 2 cylinders, and sometimes refuses to start at all. You can cope with a similar problem in a stationary workshop. There they will remove the damaged element, wash and dry it. The second most common problem is board burnout. It is not difficult to detect such a defect: the characteristic blackening of the board will leave no doubt.

Is it possible to repair the ECU in this case? The answer to this question can only be given by a service center, but experience shows that repairs will not help here. A complete replacement is required. It happens that sometimes the brain circuitry is slightly damaged. If this happens, then the car owner can get off easy. To restore the car to working order, you will need some minor repairs:

1. wipe the block with a dry cloth;
2. rinse with WD-40 several times and blow it out with a compressor;
3. rinse several times in alcohol and blow again with a compressor;
4. dry well, otherwise the Lada Kalina will not move;
5. drying takes at least 1-2 hours.

Diagnosing the block

After dismantling the liquid-filled module, we inspect it. To do this, take a screwdriver with a star tip and unscrew the 4 small screws. Next, we slowly remove the control board, with which we also perform a thorough visual inspection.

The most common reason for device failure in such a situation is a burnt-out output key of the Lada Kalina ignition coil control circuit. Repair won't help here. After such a malfunction occurs, the engine begins to function on only two cylinders, and in some situations it is not able to start at all. This is where qualified service will come to the rescue. Specialists will dismantle the damaged component, wash and dry it.

The second common cause is burnout of the board itself. This fact is revealed quite simply. There will be a characteristic darkening of the surface of the board, which will eliminate all doubts.

Will repairing the ECU help in this case? The answer can only be heard in a specialized workshop. From experience, we note that the probability of help from repairs tends to zero. Will need replacement.